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With freshwater and farmland increasingly scarce, Naomi Arita Merino is harnessing microalgae grown in seawater as a sustainable, nutritious food source.

Inspired by her family’s roots in sustainable aquaculture in Mexico, Naomi’s research blends personal passion with cutting-edge science to help address food insecurity worldwide.

As a 2022 Schmidt Science Fellow, Naomi pivoted from food chemistry to microalgae biotechnology to develop this innovative food source.

Last week (June 3, 2025) Naomi co-authored a study published in Bioresource Technology, exploring greener ways to extract lipids—fat-like compounds—from microalgae.

These lipids could become an eco-friendly source of healthy fats in future diets. Traditional extraction methods rely on harsh solvents, but this work, led by ETH Zurich’s Sustainable Food Processing Group, investigated solvent-free alternatives, including methods based on osmotic pressure and pulsed electric fields. Their work showed these techniques can effectively extract lipids without environmentally harmful chemicals, paving the way for more sustainable production.

Drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of food science, Naomi’s research reflects the mission of the Schmidt Science Fellows program: to accelerate positive impacts for global society through interdisciplinary science. “The Schmidt Science Fellowship really allows you to look for answers to problems that sound impossible,” she says.

As the climate changes and global food demands rise, Naomi’s innovative work can help discover new ways to feed the planet—starting with the tiniest organisms in the sea.